The Errant Undertaker
by petiteneko
Summary: On Link's search, he ended up in a mysterious land which was ruled by the Goddess of Time. He must save the land from a taunting moon but what happens when he finds multitudes of people to save, and one man-turned-boy in particular with piercing red eyes?
1. Playing Detective

Warning: This will contain only slight bits of **shounen-ai**, but it will be there nonetheless. Also, **AU**, because well, can't have Kafei and Link doing anything other than I come to your house, stay with you to spy and work together with you. Yeah, get it? This also will have **spoilers** for **Majora's Mask** AND **Ocarina of Time**. (But presuming you played them through, they won't be much, if any) Though, Easter Eggs are present. Hmm what else... Well seeing as Kafei and Link are KIDS or BARELY TEENS, I can say that its like... teenage fluff? Perhaps dare say... **slight Shota** (only kissing if anything)

The oh-so-obvious DISCLAIMER: I do not own Legend of Zelda or any if its characters, main plot line, monster, bosses and the like. However I DO own the storyline, and any OCs that pop up (List: N/A)

* * *

Termina was a strange place indeed. Link had concluded that as a Deku Scrub. Now, he stood atop the clock tower, just waiting for something to happen. The clock still rang over and over, each one shortening the time left in this town. An impish laughter was heard and shuffling, before the wicked Skull Kid made his appearance. When he had met the gaze with the Skull Kid, there was silence before Tael and Tatl spoke. He took heed of the words, but still eyed his ocarina being tossed in the imp's hands. His actions during these three days had to have significance to this event or else he would be crushed by the moon only meters away from him. He thought back to the woman who owned the inn, the distraught major's wife, the bombers, and then it hit him. The Great Fairy! The powers she gave him allowed him to burst that balloon, the ability to attack far or floating objects! He watched and listened as the imp whacked Tatl's brother, mocked him and danced around in the air to taunt him. He blew a bubble of spit and aimed for his ocarina and managed to hit it successfully. He thanked the archery practice he took as an adult in that time that never existed and ran to retrieve his ocarina. Then, Tatl screamed at him, even though he acquired what he once lost, telling him it was too late, telling him that it was useless. And then she begged The Goddess of Time to help them, give them more time, and it dawned upon him, and he remembered Zelda's words. _Remember this song._

He played.

An oh-so-similar sensation of warping enveloped him and he could distinctly hear ticking even if it did sound odd, and when the world cleared he was standing, once again, in front of the doors that led to the portal to Hyrule, and he saw the people bustling about in preparation for the festival. The moon was far above the town, even if still threatening. His tag-along-fairy stated the obvious: they were back where they started. He turned and went into the doors to hopefully shed this unfamiliar body.

When he left the building back in his normal body, it seemed that only seconds had passed. The boy with the Keaton mask he saw earlier was only now just reaching the steps that led to the laundry pool. When he glanced around, fresh to the town, that boy was the first person he noticed. Not to mention just moments ago he had seen him only leaving the entrance as he walked through the doors. Time seemed to be nonexistent within the clock, time that did not count for his three day time limit. He ran over to try and speak to him, a smile on his face, but he was ignored. As soon as a wrapped letter was deposited, the blue-haired boy ran off.

_Maybe he was busy. Besides Link! You shouldn't be worrying about these things! You have to follow Tael's instructions! We need to help him and the Skull Kid, and even Clock Town. You see the moon? It hasn't gone back to normal!_

"N- er Tatl, we can rewind time again if we need to, I want to gather information. Maybe the Great Fairy knows something." Link said to the bright fairy who crossed her arms in front of her chest, a stern look on her face.

_Oh yeah and remember she said to return to her once you regained your true form?_

Link nodded and ran over to North Clock Town and into the Great Fairy's fountain and he hear the many fairies pleading for help.

_It looks like everything you've done to help others have been reset with the backflow of time Link._

The young hero sighed but nodded to the fairy's remains and ran out.

Upon leaving the fountain, Link walked over and saw a large balloon floating in the air.

_That kid's blowing at the balloon again. Hey! Didn't he say something about you not being able to become a bomber because you were a Deku Scrub? Why don't you teach him!_

Link smiled softly and rolled his eyes. Yes, Tatl was definitely bossier than Navi. He reached out and looked at the mask that contained his previous prison, grimaced and put it on.

The pain! He felt every change the mask did to his body, he felt the pain of his limbs shrinking, his skin changing into wood, he felt everything. He thought he screamed but he couldn't tell and then he looked around and nobody seemed to pay him any attention and only Tatl seemed to show concern. He wondered why, but decided that he should pop that balloon already and so he blew a ball of spit and watched it fly over and collide with the balloon. Quickly he pulled off the mask, and strangely felt no pain while he changed back into his normal self. He walked over and talked to the Bomber and found himself looking for the boys. Soon enough, he found them (all where they were before as well) and managed to get a book that had twenty spots for stickers and that the Bomber crew was the first entry. Well, it seemed that he had a lot more people to save.

_Link! What are you doing dawdling around here! We need to find the Great Fairy's missing fairy!_

"I know that Tatl… I just don't know where it is in the morning, only at night. Maybe the Mayor or his wife knows anything? Might as well check around town until night falls…"

Link looked at the clock, noticing that it was approaching ten. If he remembered correctly, the mayor's office opening around then. He walked towards the slide and then into the east block. As if to ascertain his suspicions, a man who rather reminded him of Ingo was walking to the office. He sighed at the reminder and followed suit.

When he entered the mayor's office, that same flirting lady greeted him and he twitched an eyebrow. What was it with women and flirting with those who were younger than them?

…Okay maybe he shouldn't have thought of that…

_Link? Is something wrong?_

"Ah… I'm alright, just remembered something unpleasant. Don't worry about it." He forced a smile and walked into the mayor's room.

Everybody was still arguing, but Link hoped that he could get some attention _not_ being a Deku scrub.

"Hello?" Link tried, "Mr. Dotour?" He tried again.

_Link I don't think they are even paying attention to you. Let's try his wife._

Link nodded but was slightly getting annoyed by how Tatl wore out his name. He left the room and bumped into the Ingo-clone accidentally. "Sorry!"

"You ingrate! Doesn't your mother teach you any manners?" The Ingo-clone swiped at him.

Link managed to dodge the man and rushed into the other room. _I did say sorry…_ Link shook his head. _He even acts like him, go figure. I wonder if Anju is allergic to Cucus…_

"Oh! There you are!"

Link turned to the source of the sound and was greeted by the mayor's wife.

"I've been waiting for your arrival for weeks!"

"Uhh…."

"Oh! You must excuse my manners. It is I, Madame Aroma! I had called you here on behalf of my missing son!"

"I think…" Link tried again, but was immediately cut off.

"Oh! Don't tell me what you think dearie! Do it! Here take this mask and inquire about my Kafei dear. He's been missing for over a month now!"

She forced a mask into Link's hands. "And you can check his room my missing-person-specialist. It's the one behind the curtains. Now off you go!" She pushed him into the room beside the fireplace.

_Well that got us nowhere._

Link didn't even bother to comment on that sentence. He took a look at the mask. "You know…" What was it with females and cutting him off?

_Hey that hair colour looks like the boy we tried to talk to earlier._

"…I was about to say that…" Link muttered and fingered the mask. The face looked much older than that boy he ran into. If he had to guess, it looked like he was in his late teens, or even early twenties by the mask. But, that kid he tried to talk to was just that – a boy that couldn't be older than sixteen. (But it was most likely that he was around Link's age) Besides, didn't Kafei have a fiancée? Judging by the mask, it was no wonder. He was handsome.

_Hey Link, what are you flushing for? We have a moon to stop._

Link's cheeks darkened further and he didn't know why. He was fine whenever Navi caught him daydreaming… He stopped that trail of thought immediately and walked towards the curtained off room.

It was small but quaint and Link found that he immediately liked it. He had a feeling that if he and Kafei ever met, that they would get along well. But… back to business before Tatl got on his case again. Man, was she bossy! Did all fairies have some sort of annoying defect?

There was an open book on the desk with a pen, a picture of Anju and a _To Do List_.

_Hey! What are you doing! You shouldn't be snooping around!_

"…Weren't you listening? She said we could look through his stuff." Link sighed and sat in the chair and flipped to the latest entry. Its date was in the middle of last month.

_Don't tell me you're actually going to look for this Kafei? He's a grown man! He just probably needed some space._

"I don't think so Tatl. He's scheduled to marry her," Link pointed to the picture of Anju, "in three day's time. And no, I don't think that he has prenuptial jitters either."

_**How**__ do you even know that word?_

"…" Link chose not to answer that question and decided to read the entry.

_The wedding ceremony is soon. It might be early, but I finished my wedding mask. I wonder if Anju has made hers? She tends to do things at last minute, so probably not. There is a gathering of the fellows at the Milk Bar tonight. I_ _plan to show off my wedding mask and talk about my sweetheart as best as I can._

_-Kafei_

Link was silent for a few moments after he read the entry. He wondered what had happened to Kafei. Did he lose his mask, was he ambushed? Something definitely wasn't right. Was he hiding? Out of a slight curiosity, Link flipped back to the beginning. The date was seven years prior and the writing wasn't as neat, but still legible.

_Dear diary… _

_This is so stupid…._

_Whatever! I'll just write down today's events._

_Anju gave me this diary. She said it would help me express my emotions more. Stupid gift for a thirteenth birthday. What thirteen year old needs a diary anyway? Besides, going to the laundry pool is fine with me, even if that creepy boy from the west side visits there often. Speaking of him, he gave me a Keaton Mask, saying it would give me luck or something. Whatever, I still prefer to hang out with the Bomber Squad any day. I wonder if those guys will ever find the ten rupees I hid in the hideout…_

Link looked at the book with wide eyes. With these notes, it was almost guaranteed that the boy was Kafei, but how could that be? Kafei was a grown adult and, if this entry was correct, he was twenty years old. There was no way that little kid was Kafei.

_Hey Link. You missed a couple lines on the next page._

"It's alright Tatl, I have some ideas already.

_Umm… well you shouldn't leave in middle of something, it could be important you know._

"You're going to be locked out." Link said from the door.

The fairy promptly rushed over. _First you ignore me and you threaten to lock me out? You're mean!_

...

Link asked around town about Kafei and most of the information (that was useful) seemed to just verify his suspicions. Two people also gave him rather peculiar answers as well. Disconcertingly, it was the postman (Kafei-mini mailed a letter this morning) and the Trading Shop clerk (which was in West Clock Town) and they both seemed to know where Kafei was, but wouldn't tell him.

However, he needed to stop his search for now, seeing as his stomach has growled for the second time in five minutes.

Link left the shop and over to the bank. He didn't know if the bank had kept his rupees, but it was worth a try. They _did_ claim they were the safest place in Termina.

Link stared incredulously at the bank man. Apparently his stamps went through transformations and his records withstood time. This was definitely a bank to stay with – who knew when the Hero of Time needed to travel through time again. Too bad they only took rupees.

Rupees in his pouch, Link went to the inn. Hopefully Anju could feed him again, though he'd pay her this time.

However, what he came across was the mailman in the process of a delivery. When a familiar red envelope was pulled out, Anju was not the only one to gasp.

_Hey, wasn't that the same letter that boy mailed?_

Something odd was definitely going on here….

* * *

Well, it's been in progress for quite awhile, but HERE IT IS! I've always liked this pairing, and so I decided I might as well try and write it out. I mean, I do like Anju and Kafei together as well, but hey, what's a little AU here and there eh? One thing I've always liked about them- ah you know what? I'll talk about it when I get to that point in the fanfic xD Critique welcome~


	2. The Boy with the Red Eyes

Disclaimer: LoZ does not belong to me... the copyrights anyway.

* * *

The postman would not inform Anju where he received that letter, but Link knew where. _So that little boy __**had**__ to have some connection with Kafei… That's the only way._ For some reason, Kafei _didn't_ want people to find him.

Tatl started to say something, but Link grabbed her. "_Quiet_."

Weren't fairies supposed to be intelligent? Sheesh he was a kid, and even he understood that they had to be careful about this subject. Whoops, he wasn't a child anymore was he? _Well now __**I**__ have to be careful, especially about this love topic. Din…._

When the post man left, Link sighed and let Tatl go. "Now you be quiet. That letter was sent for a reason, and if you go and blab your mouth, it'll all be for naught!"

_And __**how**__ do you know?_

"Well if he's been missing for weeks and he goes and sends this letter, that means he's probably chose to hide himself."

_So those prenuptial jitters?_

"Doubt it. Now keep your mouth shut. I can't have you _tattling_ Tatl."

Her response was an irritable ringing sound as she bounced in the air.

_Really,_ Link thought, _a fairy's sole purpose in life must be to be annoying._ Link then approached Anju.

"Oh! Do you have a reservation?" She asked, quickly hiding the letter behind her. "Sir Link right? An afternoon arrival?"

Link blinked. Well, this was unusual. "That does happen to be my name…"

"Thank goodness! We're booked full because of the carnival." Anju sighed and smiled at him.

Link's stomach growled.

"Oh your journey must have made you quiet hungry! I'll fetch you some lunch!" Anju said and ran off presumably to make food.

Well, there went Link's attempts at paying her.

.+++.

While eating lunch, Link showed her Kafei's mask, in which she gasped at. She told him to meet in the kitchen at midnight, and so Link agreed, and hopefully they would find Kafei.

So to kill time, Link found the stray fairy, received a fairy mask, and tried his hand at a few of the games in Clock Town. When midnight approached, Link returned to the inn and waited for Anju in the kitchen.

As she gave him a letter and some instructions, Link noticed how much she cared for Kafei. Even though he had gone missing – it had not affected her love for him. She did not doubt him like Tatl did. Link winced at the pain that appeared in his chest. _Not now._ Link told himself. He walked out of that kitchen wearier than he should have been. Even Tatl noticed.

_Link's what's wrong?_

"Another bad memory, forget about it."

_It sounds like you haven't had a pleasant childhood…_

"Aaah…. It's not that. It's complicated, forget about it." _I had an unpleasant adulthood, but she wouldn't understand._

_I've never thought about it until now, but… wouldn't your mother be worried where you are Link?_

"My mother died before I could even remember her, and I never knew my father. My only parental figure was a tree."

_You were raised by the Deku Tree? Well… you __**are**__ wearing the clothes of the Kokori… but why is it that you can survive outside of the forest?_

"I'm a Hylian." Link said with a sigh.

_So I suppose it's lucky that we found you then, because you would have turned into a skalkid!_

Link shook his head. "No, I know those woods like the back of my hand. They only say those who were not Kokori will turn into beasts because the Kokori have been raised in the forest and learning it requires practice. I was taught ever since I could crawl, so it is ingrained within me. I have learned to thwart the woods' deceptions and its calls. I think anybody can learn the woods if time and guidance is given, but the Kokori are wary of strangers, and nobody gives up their time – so they become lost within the woods and become the monsters that the stories tell of."

Tatl blinked at me in disbelief. _You sure are an intelligent kid._

_Well shit… _Link mentally cursed, _I did it again._

.+++.

Link followed the postman sneakily although he was certain he knew where he would go. However, upon entering south clock town, Link scurried on over to the laundry pool and hid in the water. If Kafei was here… he couldn't be hiding behind the postman, because then the little messenger boy (or… if that was Kafei…) would run away, and he's lose his chance. He couldn't let it slip.

The mail man rung the bell, and as he assumed, the boy with the Keaton mask and purple hair came running out of a door.

_Now is my chance!_ Link thought, carefully got out of the water and quietly opened the door, closing it behind him. He needed to meet this Kafei person.

Link looked around in the room that he entered and began to move around – both out of curiosity and so the kid wouldn't run away immediately. It was a small storage room, but it was being used as a hideout of sorts. He saw no older man as he entered, just a bed, some boxes and a desk. Link walked over to the desk to see papers, a pen, and an inkwell. He looked at the writing and he recognized it from Kafei's journal. Many of the papers had scratched out letters which Link would read "Dear Anju" on several on them. However, there was no gown adult… so that meant that Kafei was–

Link turned around to meet the kid whom his day has so far revolved around.

"Green hat… Green clothes… Anju wrote about you in her letter. It seems you are looking for Kafei… can you keep a secret?"

When Link looked at the small slits that allowed the other kid to see, he thought he saw something _familiar_ within them. But, Link pushed away the nostalgia and nodded. He already guessed, and well… it didn't seem all strange to him. After all, he too was an adult in a child's body, he was a child in an adult's body before, he used magic many times in the… time that did not exist and in the past, he was turned into a Deku Scrub, so it took a lot to surprise him.

"Anju trusted you. I shall also trust you."

The words of the child were very mature, and he took a deep breath before bringing his hand up to the mask that hid his face. With a blink and another deep breath, he said, "I am Kafei."

Those words however, seemed very small in comparison to the dread that filled Link as he looked into the _red_ eyes of Kafei. The very words that were damning to Kafei were overshadowed by another introduction made too long ago – an introduction that Link tried to burry into the darkest depths of his mind: _I am Sheik, survivor of the Sheikah._ His head hurt, his chest hurt, and yet unbidden memories and questions overwhelmed him. A single thought went through Link's mind before he fainted.

_Why is a Sheikah in Termina?

* * *

_

Well finally finished this chapter. And yes, I know what I'm implying in this fic, but I'm just building up Link's character xD  
Sorry if it seems too short or low in quality but I only briefly edited it. I'm also answering to some responses on it - which is to cut down on the actual plotline of the game a bit.


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